Rhode Islanders voted on Tuesday to remove “Providence Plantations” from the state’s full name.
A ballot measure to simplify the name to just “Rhode Island” passed with more than 52% of the vote, according to the Associated Press. Voters in the state capital of Providence voted overwhelmingly to support the change.
The full name, which was adopted in 1636 when a British royal charter joined two separate colonies, has long been a subject of debate. Detractors say that the word “plantations” draws up memories of slavery, while defenders point to the fact that Rhode Island was never a slave state. The ballot measure was introduced this year after the death of George Floyd inspired months of protests nationwide.
Democratic Gov. Gina Raimondo signed an executive order in June that removed the name from official state documents.
The issue first came up in 2000, when then-state Rep. David Cicilline proposed that a name change might “demonstrate some sensitivity” to the state’s ethnically diverse population.
In 2010, Rhode Islanders overwhelmingly rejected a previous name change ballot measure, with nearly 80% of voters voting against the idea.
